Getting re-fitted tomorrow

[boatman37]

So after mentioning a couple of times that I'd like to try a Storm at some point my wife asked her co-worker (who is a coach and pretty good bowler) and she gave my wife the name of a place that sold Storm so she contacted them and asked about them getting my stats so she bought me a gift certificate for X-Mas. Definitely don't need a ball but guess I'm gonna get re-fitted and get my stats checked tomorrow and get a new ball. Gonna let him decide what is best for me. Will update with what my numbers are and what he says. About time to make room in my bag now anyway. Currently 2 of the balls in my bag have about 100 games each on them but they still roll nice (Uppercut and Igniter). Will probably pull the Uppercut out since I haven't used it much in the past month or so. Been using the Igniter 90% of the time but neither of those do well inside the 10 board. Leaving way too many corner pins when I move in.

[boatman37]

So wife took me to a new center where they sell a little of every brand. Got there at 3:15 in the afternoon. 52 lanes and it was packed end to end with leisure bowlers. Went in to the pro shop and they told me to throw 5 or 6 warm-ups, clean my ball then throw another and bring it in to them. Their shop was right behind my lane. I told them my balls do not get an oil track. So tried both the Uppercut and the Igniter. Very little oil after the shot and none by the time I got in the shop. So they used a 'burned' line in my Uppercut to go off of. The shop was jam packed so it was a bad day to expect them to come out and watch me. They came up with 4 3/4 x 0 for my PAP. They also changed the pitch in my thumb slightly to try to get out cleaner but said it wasn't bad where it was. Instead of drilling the new ball with it they drilled me up a new insert with the new pitch built into the insert to see if I liked it. Didn't notice much of a difference though. So ended up walking out with a 900 Global Altered Reality drilled 45x4x30. Went out and bowled 2 games with it. PSO came out and watched. Based on the video looks like my PAP may be off a hair but I like the ball. Starts reading a little early with nice backend. My goal was to be able to play in heavier oil near the 15 or so board. Where my other balls would either hit almost straight leaving a corner pin or if I stood way right I would take out the 4-7, with this ball it would come back to the pocket. The PSO came out after things slowed and watched a few frames. I had mentioned how bad my 7 pin shooting was so he worked with me a little and I felt much more comfortable and better results. This new ball did have an oil ring so he 'invited' me to come down in a few weeks when things slowed and he would re-check me and try to work a little more with me.
Going in early tomorrow for some more practice before leagues start. But I was able to also throw it up the 7 board as I like to and it was right in the pocket from there too. Even went as far as standing way right and throwing across the 20 board. It didn't quite get to the pocket on those few I threw but much closer than my other balls and pretty sure I can work with that. Of course I will still 'try' to stick in my comfort zone but hope to be able to move in more if I need to. And may enter a tournament next Sunday where they use a 43' sport shot. This PSO said this ball should work good on that pattern. Will update tomorrow night.

Oh, and that PSO checked my tilt and rotation and said right around 14* tilt with about 65* rotation

[boatman37]

Oh, and that PSO said I reminded him alot of Patrick Allen. I hadn't heard of him but watched one of his videos just now and looked very similar.

Here is the Altered Reality (45x4x30)

[Phonetek]

Patrick Allen? Some millionaire? I bet you get that a lot! 😜

You're lucky you got into a pso, we went to ours and the line was out the door. He was just having people leave the balls and come back tomorrow. He's going in 4 hours early just to catch up. It's nice to see that kind of business even with Covid back on the rise.

[boatman37]

k. long post here probably.

Went in early and threw 2 games with the new Altered Reality. OOB finish. They put me on the open lanes and I was a bit worried after the first few shots. This ball was strong and crossing over the nose no matter where I stood or what I did. Ended up standing way right (about 28) and throwing over 15. The good thing is I have never had much luck standing that far right and getting back to the pocket. That was the only line that could get me to the pocket. Last night at the other center I was able to strike from the 6 board out to the 17 board with nice entry angle. So warmups started on our normal league lanes and I started at the 6-7 board. Strike. Tried it again...strike. Moved in a few boards at a time and threw 5 strikes in a row in to the 15 board. Past the 15 I struggled to get it back to the pocket but I'm sure I could have worked with it and found a good spot but doubt that I would need to do that very often so concentrated on what I needed to do tonight.
Started off at the 6-7 board and had to stand 2 boards further right than I usually do with my other balls, even my solids with lots of surface. Ended up staying on that line all night with only about a 2 board move. I did find that if I missed right by about 2 boards I went through the nose so had to keep it out there. If I went too far out it had no problem getting back to the pocket. I got out to the 2-3 board a few times and it still snapped back. 3rd game it started coming in a little high so moved 1 board right but then came in light. I probably should have made a bigger move with my eyes and feet but didn't. Like maybe move out to the 10-12 board. We had 2 other lefties and one was a little higher rev but I stayed outside of their lines all night.

Bottom line is I love this ball so far. I rarely can use the same ball all night and can't use the same ball that I strike from the 7 board to strike from the 15 board. I lose too much entry angle and leave corner pins. This ball drives through the pocket and I had no trouble striking from any of these lines in that range. Even in the oil this ball had big backend.

Checked my revs tonight and closer to about 290 so that was lower than I had thought. 2.54 seconds with 12 rotations. Used 2 different charts and both came out to about 288. Oh well. Not going to worry about it. Strikes and carry haven't been an issue so it is what it is.

[boatman37]

Here is a clip of me throwing the new 900 Global Altered Reality right after they drilled it. Been awhile since I've thrown an asymm except the few frames I'd throw the Black Widow Gold every few weeks.

Oh, and Phoney...one of the few times you will see me wearing pants....lol

[Phonetek]

Oh, and Phoney...one of the few times you will see me wearing pants....lol

https://youtu.be/4Z_TMdLuAyQ

Ya know... you may want to add more context to a comment like that? It kinda makes it seem that I only see you without pants. Our wives may start asking questions.

[boatman37]

Ya know... you may want to add more context to a comment like that? It kinda makes it seem that I only see you without pants. Our wives may start asking questions.

Open to imagination....lol

But have any of you heard of Donnie Iris (biggest hit was 'Ah Leah' and back in 1970 'The Rapper' when he was with the Jaggerz)? He grew up across town from me and I see him around occasionally. He never wears pants either and it has kind of become a joke around here. He usually mentions pants when on stage at all of his concerts. A funny story about him and pants. My aunt used to be good friends with Donnie and his ex-wife and used to hang out at his house back in the early 80's. My grandfather used to be a police officer and she used to wear an old pair of his police pants. Donnie liked them so she gave them to him. He wore them on stage at a large concert. This was back when he was at his prime and usually had 5000-10000 in the audience. Anyway, he spilt the crotch out of those police pants on stage...lol. Mayne thats why he doesn't wear pants anymore...lol.

[boatman37]

Well let's see how tonight goes with the new Altered Reality. Counting last weeks league and the first 3 games Friday night of fun bowing my average with this ball is 217 (current average this year is 198). I know the sample size is too small but definitely got my confidence up and this ball is different from any other ball I have ever had. Can't say if it is because it is a different brand ball, newer technology, or the fact that I got it drilled to match my PAP, which I have never done before. Or it also could be mental. Of course I have been doing a better job at picking up spares too which I know at my current level is the biggest bang for my buck.
Just for the heck of it...in those 6 games I have 40 strikes, 15 spares, 9 opens with 5 splits. So in 6 games only 4 'makeable' opens. One being a 1-3-6-7 so not an easy one, 1 being a 7 pin, 1 being a 2-4-7 and 1 being a 10 pin.

If you can't tell, I'm really liking this new ball...lol. I know I say that about every ball I get but this one let's me do things that the others wouldn't. Example, The Igniter is great outside the 10 board. Inside and it lacks entry angle and leaves corner pins. The Uppercut works good at the 10-13 range but outside that and it comes across the nose, inside that and corner pins. The Raw Hammer I haven't thrown enough inside yet but it works great outside the 10 board later in the night. Haven't tried it inside yet. My old Kingpin and Conspiracy solids just lack much hook at all. They were great back when I got them and was averaging 175-180. This Altered Reality lets me play from the 3 board all the way in to about the 17 board. I can play that range using multiple balls but have not been able to do it with the same ball until now.

I was reluctant when the PSO mentioned 900 Global cause I know they are a less common brand but geez. Glad I went with it. I have never thrown anything but Brunswick stuff my whole entire bowing career except when I first got my Hammer Black Widow Gold. At that time they weren't under the Brunswick umbrella.

Yeah more long winded blah, blah, blah from me but figured I'd throw in an update while waiting to get out there tonight. Going in a little early for a couple more practice games.

[boatman37]

Well jinxed myself. Not really though. Tough night but there was something going on with that pair. Both teams struggled. In the left lane the 4 pin fell out of the rack almost every time it was left. Rarely on a full rack though, just on a cleanup rack. The other team got to the point where they just threw the ball even when there were only 9 pins standing on a full rack. Our captain told them they can't do that but they were at the point they just didn't care. Their one guy is about a 200 average and rolled a 300 last week and the last game about 3 frames in a row he just walked up and threw the ball. Think he threw about 3 gutters that game.
I went in early for practice. First practice game I was trying different lines and rolled 180. 2nd game I tried and rolled 210. Everyone was fine, my accuracy was good, etc. Moved to our league pair and nothing. Can't quite put my finger on it but had to have been an oiling issue. I tried from the 5 board to the 15 board with 2 different balls and nothing repeatable. I even got out my Igniter and threw a pocket strike. Next ball in that same lane same thing. Didn't change a thing. Ball never hooked. Hit the 2-4 pocket. It almost seemed like every other board had oil. Dunno. I have never seen anything like this. Both teams were very confused and couldn't figure it out. One ball I'd hit light. No changes and next ball would go through the nose. Everyone. All 10 bowlers. Talked to the guys beside us and they said their lanes were fine. We were on the first pair for our league so nobody to the left of us. But based on how well my practice games went and the fact that 10 of us struggled I'm confident it wasn't me or the balls.


Hopefully whatever was wrong with these lanes is fixed next week...lol